SCANDAL IN PARIS, A / LURED

A SCANDAL IN PARIS / LURED REVIEWED

“A Scandal in Paris” is Sirk’s attempt to create a biopic about Francois-Eugene Vidocq. This film is odd. For a movie created right after World War II ended, it was pretty experimental. Vidocq is shown to be a rogue, but not exactly loveable. His origins are treated as the cause for his later endeavors, but it’s handled in a way that seems almost Ferris Bueller-esque in style. While Sirk is a master director, I never thought he was playing with the medium this early in his career. Most of it will seem like old hat to younger viewers, but this is pretty revolutionary for the time.

“Lured” will make you believe that Lucille Ball could be a detective. While they work in some of her trademark humor, there’s a dramatic turn here that deserved exploring. So many people forget that Ball had a lively career before her TV work. Boris Karloff plays a mad fashion designer that may or may not be a killer stalking London’s young women. All the while, classic cliches play out in a way that only works for Sirk. Quite the stunning film that deserves a second look.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Commentaries

Trailers

A/V STATS

1.37:1 1080p transfer

LPCM Mono

RELEASE DATE: 9/27/16

Video - 90%

90%

Audio - 93%

93%

Supplemental Material - 90%

90%

Film Score - 94%

94%

The Plot Thus Far

Two rediscovered early classics from Douglas Sirk. A Scandal In Paris: From the memoirs of François Eugène Vidocq, the elegant thief turned chief of police of all Paris, comes this rediscovered classic of melodrama and romance. George Sanders is at his debonair best as we see him climb from clever criminal through the ranks of French society in the early 1800's, with seemingly nothing to stop him from the biggest heist of his career ... except, perhaps, the charms of a young lady. Lured: A serial killer is on the loose in London, luring young women into his web through ads placed in the personal column. Scotland Yard's bait to ensnare the villain is a young American dance hall girl (played by a stunning Lucille Ball), who encounters a series of likely suspects, including the always dashing George Sanders as a sophisticated playboy and an unforgettable Boris Karloff as a mad fashion designer.